I find myself with nothing to do.  I washed the dishes, caught up on blogs my friends have written, and drank 5 cups of coffee.  Now I'm thinking about my brother.  I'm so worried.  I have this knot in my stomach and throat and cannot get rid of it.  And my hands are shaking.  This all can be contributed to the vast amount of coffee I recently consumed but I know it has a minimal effect on me.  My brother is home.  or so he just told me.  I don't know what's going to happen.  I'm scared for him.  My thoughts were with him all day during church.  I don't understand how someone can continually make mistakes and not learn from them.  I'm not a perfect person--far from it--but I learn from mistakes I make.  I am unsure of what to think right now.  I have no respect for my brother.  In fact, I find myself pitying him.  I am no longer envious of his carefree ways because look where it got him:  in jail.  I hope he learns.  All I can do is pray for him.  I can try to give him advice but he has always ignored it in the past-why start listening to me now?  If you think about it, send up a prayer for my brother and my family.  Thanks.

-Ashley

God Takes the Best

God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not to be,
So He put His arms around you
and whispered, "Come with me."

With tearful eyes we watched you suffer
and saw you fade away.
Although we loved you dearly
We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating
You're now at peaceful rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.

--It's been one year.